Validation

Something I often attempt when I’m out and about is pushing strangers out of their comfort zones a little bit (or a lot) and trying to get otherwise unhappy people laughing or smiling. This video is always incredible validation to me that what I do might just change somebody’s life, or at least their day. It has a message that is so powerful on so many levels.

Anyway, I have a list of my own, but what resounding messages do you take from it?

Here is my list (from the video, and also from real life):

The world is full of sad, sad people.

At first encounter, people will not always take your kindness as sincere. But it doesn’t take long at all for them to trust you enough to smile and appreciate what you give them.

People at every level need validation. Validation is one of the things in this world that few people get from others.

When somebody validates others, it does not take long for people to start congregating around that person. People love to be around validators.

Sometimes somebody’s hidden hurt is so deep that they seem untouchable. They seem like there really is no opportunity for validation. This is never true. These people just need validation until the proper channel opens up within them.

It is very true that one person’s sadness or rudeness can often ruin a validator. This is because validators get their validation by seeing other people be validated.

More often than not, a shoemaker’s child will never have shoes. People very rarely validate the validator.

Dan Pearce is an American-born author, app developer, photographer, and artist. This blog, Single Dad Laughing, is what he's most known for, with more than 1.4 million daily subscribers as of 2017. Pearce writes mostly humorous and introspective works, as well as his musings which span from fatherhood, to dating, to life, to the people and dynamics of society. Single Dad Laughing is much more than a blog. It's an incredible community of people just being real and awesome together!